Spending time in the great outdoors is among the most popular fair weather leisure time activities. Whether it is fishing, camping, at a picnic or having a cookout, a great deal of time is spent preparing and consuming a meal. A common piece of equipment common to all of these activities is an insulated cooler that keeps food and beverages cold in the same manner a refrigerator does. While these coolers do an admirable job of keeping food cold, they do require periodic replenishment of ice on a very frequent basis. Many people turn to the use of dry ice to allow for longer time periods between ice replenishment, and to provide for colder temperatures. However, such ice needs to be separated or insulated from the cooler as well as the stored food, or damage to either as a result of the very cold temperatures will result. Additionally, since the dry ice “melts” directly into carbon dioxide, it must be provided with a way to leave the cooler, or an over pressurization condition can result. Further, an excessive build-up of carbon dioxide gas within the cooler may affect the taste of the foods stored within. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which dry ice can be used in a cooler to keep food cold, but without the disadvantages as described above.